Brandon Marshall's Journey with Borderline Personality Disorder

Brandon Marshall didn't have his head on straight. That much was clear. 

Back when the Miami Dolphins wide receiver was still a member of the Denver Broncos, his performance on the field, while exceptional, was overshadowed by his sudden acts of anger or frustration.

Most of us remember an incident a couple of years back at a Broncos practice, in which Marshall began punting balls on the field and refusing to catch passes over what was supposedly a complaint about a misdiagnosed injury and his contract situation.

After coming out yesterday and revealing that he has Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), it's finally put to rest as to why Marshall has had these sudden mood swings in the past.

BPD is a serious mental illness, and one that only affects around two percent of our country's population. Unlike the much more common Bipolar Disorder, mood swings aren't on a weekly or monthly basis, but rather can occur by the hour.

Marshall has been said to be both a great interview for reporters, and a 180-degree turn from that at other times. He also has come across as greedy, complaining about his contract while in Denver, yet he is known as one of the more charitable players in the league.

This all adds up to a clear example of someone with BPD. Depression, anxiety and anger occur often with this disorder. The effects boiled over last spring, when Marshall's wife allegedly stabbed him.

His wife claimed it was in self-defense. The biggest part of the story might have been the fact that Marshall defended his wife afterward, and practically blamed himself for the mess that had transpired.

All of that has led up to this. It's a big step Marshall is taking by seeking help in this matter. It's the best thing for him to do.

Over 70 percent of individuals who have BPD have, at one time or another, deliberately harmed themselves. That's a road Brandon Marshall refuses to go down.

BPD has been considered a very hard disorder to treat, but Marshall looks more than ready to take strides to contain it and continue his career as one of the top wideouts in the game.

We've enjoyed watching him play, and hope to see him on the field for many seasons to come.